'Lights' were gathering outside the door in droves, but I had been so busy talking with Old Chun that I hadn't even noticed. Mars would have a field day if he found out.
The Warden peered at the chattering and giggling spectres in concern, but I just brushed it off.
"My warding won't be broken so easily. They may be mischievous, but they're not strong. Only a very strong spirit with great strength can break this guy," I motioned to my glimmering spell.
Looking more assured, he asked me again, [What will you do, Mr. Nathan?] What am I going to do?
I have over three thousand ghosts chasing me and there is only one sensible ghost in front of me. Hold on, where are all the guards?
"Are you the only authority here?" I wondered.
Old Chun became saddened. [I'm the only one left, yes.] Well, this sucks. I now have to go the hard route. But my curiosity peaked.
"What happened to all the guards? Where are they? Also, could you tell me what happened in this place?" I asked several questions.
[It's a long story. Please, take a seat,] he gestured, but glancing around, there wasn't a place that looked comfortable as everything was smashed, so I sat back down on the floor.
[It was just after WWII, and the world celebrated the end of the long battle. However, as peace became more prominent, our women also became more aggressive. They had become used to living without men, you see.
When the men returned to the country, they protested heavily. There were even those who left their husbands or moved out. They would advocate for complete independence, Paradise without Man.]
It sounded a bit over the top to me. I thought of my mom and her kind smile and loving hugs. I smiled inwardly. I just realised how lucky I am.
[They took to the streets and delayed traffic, attacked men randomly, and even tried to hurt male children. The government has had enough and opened this activist prison just for them. My family was trained as prison wardens, so I was immediately assigned to be this prison's warden.]
I was hooked on his story. I leaned forward, even though my SENSE was still activated.
[They were rounded up like pigs for slaughter. At the time, I was under the impression that they would be locked up for a few years to help them calm down. But a few weeks later, after receiving nearly a thousand prisoners, I was ordered to punish them.]
"No way. Is that why there's so much blood on the walls?" I blurted out my disbelief. Old Chun guffawed.
[I wish it was. No, apparently when they built this place, a special room was added—the Discipline Room. I refused, so the government sent several Punishers to discipline them whenever they thought they broke the rules. Which was every day and for no apparent reason.]
I swear, I won't break any rules from now on. I do not want to end up in jail.
He continued, [I watched as many broken women came out of that room. Once beautiful, they became bloodied and no more than living corpses.]
"What, you mean they became zombies?" I laughed weakly.
[What is a zombie?] Never mind. I urged him to go on. He continued emotionlessly.
[Things went awry when my son was the Warden. The facility had over three thousand inmates during his age. He lived with his wife and two sons in Warden's headquarters at the time. So when the riot broke out, he was with his family in headquarters asleep.]
He let out a sigh.
I swallowed. Come on, I wanna know.
[It just so happened that they captured one of the head activists earlier that day. Kim Iseul. She was once a mechanic in the army, so she was very strong. It took two men to handle her.
She was also very charismatic, and many looked up to her. But the Punishers didn't care and threw her immediately into The Discipline Room. She was tortured to the point of death. Her spirit was just that strong.]
"Did they manage to-?" She sounds very brave. I could just imagine her. A big, muscular woman, looking defiantly at the grinning, monstrous men who were about to hurt her.
[They didn't break her spirit. But they broke her bones instead and left her to die in her cell for all to see. That was the wrong thing to do, however.
It only sparked the fighting spirit among the inmates, and they started to fight back. They managed to convince the female guards to side with them, who were sympathetic from the start.
And those guards freed the women from their cells. There were only five hundred male guards, and they were seriously outnumbered. So they did what any human would do, and fled as fast as they could. The Punishers were the only ones they killed.
The prisoners killed them in the same manner as Kim Iseul was killed. They were thrown into The Discipline Room and left to die. However, as for my son and his family-] he choked on tears.
With his head in his hands, he sobbed. [They were ambushed in their beds. No one bothered to warn him. He was stabbed hundreds of times. Without his left hand, I would not have recognized him.
He was born with only four fingers, so seeing the body, I immediately knew it was him. His wife and sons were missing, but since I have a descendant, they survived the onslaught. I'm so relieved. I thought they had been killed somewhere else.]
"I'm sorry for your loss. It must have been terrifying," I consoled him. He sniffed. If able, please blow your nose.
[Thank you. You're the only one that has said it to me,] he smiled tearfully. I was?
"So, what happened to you? Why are you stuck here?" I asked the snotty ghost.
He wiped his eyes and explained grimly, [I did an atrocious act. I came when I heard what had happened. The women had closed the entrance and holed themselves inside, so the Government sent the army to control the situation.
However, I knew of a secret entrance and led the commander to it. Eventually, the army got inside and shot everyone left and right.
It was a nightmare. Women were executed on the spot. Some ran to the cells and blockaded themselves. It was no use, as the army bombed the place as well, causing massive damage and falling debris. The commander forced me to leave, but I came here instead.]
"What could be here to possibly lose your life?" I wondered. He stood up and pointed to the wall behind him.
[The ledgers. All the journals and recordings of what happened behind the walls of Seodaemun Prison. I wanted to expose them, but I died here before I could.]
"Did someone murder you?" I demanded furiously. He shook his head. He looked a bit ashamed. [A steel beam fell on me.]
Oh. I guess that's good? He came and hovered before me, looking intense. [Will you take the journals and go public with them?]
"Uh, it's been a hundred years. I don't think it'll even matter by now," I muttered awkwardly. [Please. It's my last request.] He pleaded, bowing. All right, sure, okay.
"First, I need to take care of these activists." I steeled myself as I rose. Old Chun gazed expectantly at me, faith in his eyes.
I had to send off three thousand ghosts in several different locations, and most were hostile. 'Mars! Please help me!' I pleaded inwardly as I smiled confidently outside.
Old Chun watched as I drew a circle using available ink on the floor. It was a spell my grandfather had learned from a famous exorcist.
I sincerely hoped these women would be stupid enough to fall for my spell. Thankfully, the old ghost was here to be baited.
"Mr.Chun, for this spell to work, they have to be close. Can I ask you to lure those ladies into this room? I'll be forever grateful," I bowed.
[Of course. Just tell me when you're ready.] Wow, he's such a great guy! I slunk to the door, motioned to him, and deactivated my spirit ward.
Old Chun jumped forward to get the lights' attention as they poured in, while I hid behind some debris, concentrating on my spell circle.
As the fox fires swirled around Old Chun, making him gasp, I quickly activated the Spell of Release.
The entire floor radiated a sharp white glow, attracting the women's attention.
[How pretty. Is it a show?]
[I feel strange. I feel like I'm being pulled. Do you feel it too?]
[Hey, where's the pretty boy? He should be here!]
Some fox fires floated towards the circle curiously, flickering blue, but others glowed red, seemingly out of anger. It was time.
The white light spun, surrounding the ghosts. The whispering stopped, and they started to scream when many blue lights were pulled down and vanished.
The red lights tried to flee but smashed against a barrier that was automatically erected by the spell.
After all the blue fires were gone, the white light transformed into a murky brown, and then the red lights were pulled downward. They, too, vanished without a trace.
I sagged from exhaustion as the silence returned. The spell was now dark and dull. [That's not something you see every day. You're a wonderful exorcist despite looking like a fop,] the old warden complimented me.
I flicked my hair. Who're you calling a fop?
"We're not done yet, old man. There's still others in the rest of the building to go," I reminded him. He nodded, [I'll keep helping you. This is the most fun I have had in the last hundred years!] I can guess.
For the next hour, Old Chun and I sneaked all over the building. As I painted The Spell of Release, he made a commotion to draw the fox fires' attention.
By the end, we sent at least over two thousand to the afterlife. I was also extremely exhausted. So much so that I couldn't even activate my SENSE anymore.
[Are you all right? Should I show you where the bathrooms are?] Old Chun asked in concern. I panted as I lay on the floor. "No need. I'm leaving for the night.
I'm taking a break. I'll be back tonight, so don't worry," I gasped. I was sweaty, dirty, and tired, and I wanted to take a nice bath. [As you wish. I'll wait for you in the office. We'll continue tonight.]
Huh? You're disappointed. Come on, I'm still alive and need to rest my poor muscles.
It was over four o'clock in the morning, and the whispering was less prominent. I dodged a fox fire here and there and shot out of the building to freedom.